Clothes-washing machine.



No. 886,168 PATENTED APRL28, 1908.

L. M. ADAMS.

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE. APPLIQATION rum) MAY29,1907.

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Witnesses:

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. Attorneys PATENTED APR. 2a, 1908.

v L.- M. ADAMS. I CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29.1907. '2 sums-slum z.

Witnesses:

By Attorneys flumama: PET WASHINGTON b c LAWRENCE MELVILLE ADAMS, OFFORT STEELE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1907. Serial No. 376,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE MELVILLE ADAMS, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Fort Steele, county of Kootenay, in theProvince of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Clothes-WVashing Machines; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to clothes washing machines; the object of myinvention is to provide a machine in which the clothes may be subjectedto an agitating action Without tearing the same; a further object is topro- .vide means for subjecting the clothes to the action of movingsteam admitted at the bottom of the apparatus and working upward; afurther object is to provide, means for resiliently mounting theagitating members so as to not tear the clothes operated upon; a furtherobject is to provide means for expressing the moisture from the clothes;and, my invention consists of the construction, combination andarrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, I haveillustrated one form of embodiment of my invention, in which drawingssimilar reference characters designate corresponding parts, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, with the moisture expressing membersremoved; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the cover of the apparatus;Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the cover, takenapproximately on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionthrough the body of the apparatus, showing the steam distributing meansin plan; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the body of theapparatus, and showing the steam distributing means partly in sectionand partly in side elevation; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail in sideelevation of the upper end of one side of the steam distributing andagitating means; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in perspective of a connecting link; and, Fig. 8 is a perspective of the moisture expressingactuating means.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 designate supporting members, on which1s disposed an approximately rectangular receptacle 2, having an openupper end, closed by a cover 3.

Thecover 3 adjacent its rear end, is provided with a vertical flange '4.

Carried by the cover 3 and the flange 4, are upwardly and backwardlyinclined hangers 5, in the upper ends of which is journaled a crankshaft 6, having a handle 7 thereon; by means of which it may be rotated.Loosely disposed on the crank shaft 6 are links 8, having their lowerends bifurcated to receive the upper ends of levers 9, said levers beingpivotally connected to the lower ends of the links 8, as by means ofpins 10. Intermediate of their ends, the levers 9 are pivotally disposedon the spring lingers 11 of a member 12 secured on the upper face of thevertical flange 4.

Pivoted to the lower ends of the levers 9, are links 13. Ears 14 areformed on the upper ends of steam conducting plun er pipes 15, and theseears 14 are disposed in the lower ends of the links 13 and are removablyretained by means of the pin 16, which is long enough to serve for bothsides of the machine. The plun er pipes 15 extend through the slots 17ormed in the cover 3, and at their lower ends are connected to headers18, and the headers are connected by transverse steam pipes 19 providedwith perforations 20 on their upper surfaces. Steam may be admitted fromany suitable source of supply to either or both of the pipes 15 by meansof the hose 100 connected to pipes 21, and when only one pipe 2 1 isused, a single line hose will be attached to it and the superfluoussteam not passing through the perforations 20 will be conducted outsideof the receptacle 2 through the opposite pipe 21.

The forward end of the cover 3 is provided with an opening 22, throughwhich projects a tongue 23 secured on the forward faceof the receptacle.Removably disposed through the tongue 23 is a pin 24, adapted toretainthe cover 3 in closed position.

In the o eration of the machine, the pin 16 is remover and the coverlifted from the receptacle. The clothes to be washed are dis posed onthe rack formed by the headers 18 and pipes 19. The cover is thenreplaced in position, and the links 13 connected to the shoulders 14 bymeans of the pin 16. Steam is then admitted through the pipes 21, andthe rack or plunger formed by the pipes 18, 19 and 15 is given avertical reciprocatory movement by turning the handle 7, which causesrotation. of the crank shaft 6. Rota- Patented April 28, 1908.

tion of the crank shaft 6 causes the reciprocation of the pipes throughthe medium of the levers 9, which are resiliently mounted as stated toprevent tearing of the clothes.

The cover 3 is provided with longitudinal strips 25, adapted to fitclosely against the sides of the receptacle 2, and disposed on the underface of the cover 3 are longitudinal strips 26, to which are secured theopposite ends of bars 27. To ex ress the moisture from the clothes, aboard is dis osed across the bars 27, and the links 13 isconneoted fromthe shoulders 14. The reduced ends 28 of a cross bar 29 are thenintroduced into the openings 30 of the shoulders 14, and. are retainedtherein by means of the pins 31. Carried by the bar 29 is a screw 32,having a hand-wheel 33 on its upper end, and having a reduced lower end34 adapted to enter the plate 35 carried by the upper face of the cover3. The bar 29 is further supported by a brace 36, rovided at its lowerend with a slot 37, in which is adapted to engage the lug 38 formed onthe rear side of the member 12 secured on the flange 4, by means ofwhich the bar 29 is held in operative position, The screw 32 beingoperated by means of the hand wheel 33, the upper ends of the plungerpipes 15 will be elevated, and the rack formed by the pipes 18 and 19will be brought toward the under surface of the cover 3, so that theclothes contained in the receptacle will be compressed, and the moistureexpressed therefrom.

A suitable decanting cook 39 is adapted to permit the escape of thefluid from the receptacle 2.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination, in a washing machine a casing, a hollow perforateplunger disposed in the casing and I having projecting side members,levers, a member secured to the casing and. provided with spring fingersinserted through the levers, means for removably securing the lower endsof the levers to the side members of the plunger, and means for rockingthe levers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

LAWRENCE MELVILLE ADAMS.

Witnesses:

E. O. MILLER, B. W. WERDEN.

